Chipotle ‘Hasn’t Even Scratched the Surface’ on U.S. Store Growth
Photo Caption: A Chipotle location equipped with a digital drive thru. Chipotle
Skift Take
Not only does Chipotle see a future in which its domestic store count is much larger, but it's also taking the steps now to make sure that the new restaurants are built for a future where digital order sales account for a significant part of the chain's overall revenue.
Chipotle just celebrated its 2,500th store opening in Concord, Calif., on Friday, but it's far from reaching its full potential in U.S. store count, according to the company.
"We continue to hear that the number one reason that consumers eat elsewhere is because they don't have convenient access to Chipotle," CEO Brian Niccol said on the company's recent fourth quarter earnings call. Chipotle opened 137 new restaurants in 2018, and plans to open 140 to 155 more new locations in 2019.
[caption id="attachment_6052" align="alignleft" width="400"] Chipotle's 2,500th store location opened in Concord, California on February 8.[/caption]
That's a slower, more measured opening rate compared to previous years; in 2017, Chipotle opened 183 new stores and in 2016, the company opened 243 new location
